[/url] In a reversal of the traditional Cinderella romance, numerous Chinese celebrities are marrying women whose wealth and stature is no less prominent than, and may even be above, their own. The most-high profile marriages that come to mind include Andy Lau (劉德華), Chow Yun Fat (周潤發), Donnie Yen (甄子丹), Daniel Wu (吳彥祖), and Vanness Wu (吳建豪). Andy kept his relationship and subsequent marriage to Carol Chu (朱麗倩) a secret for years, suffering much public backlash. Carol’s father was a Malaysian real estate businessman and her mother was a prominent socialite, while her uncle Vincent Tan (陳志遠) is the Chairman of Berjaya Group, one of the biggest listed companies in Malaysia. When 24-year-old Andy first met 18-year-old Carol in 1986, it was somewhat of an uneven match, as Andy had fame but little financial means. Now that Andy is both famous and wealthy, he can finally stand as an equal to Carol. Chow Yun Fat’s wife Jasmine Tan (陳薈蓮) is the daughter of Jack Tan (陳首林), one of Singapore’s most prominent businessmen. After a scandalous past, including a short-lived first marriage with actress Candice Yu (余安安), Chow Yun Fat settled down after he married Jasmine, who subsequently became his business manager. Although childless, the couple remains happily married after being together for nearly 30 years. Similar to Chow Yun Fat, Donnie Yen suffered from a failed first marriage prior to meeting the love of his life, Cecilia Wang (汪詩詩). The Toronto beauty queen hails from a family that runs a jewelry business in Canada, and had the nickname “Diamond Princess” before she married Donnie in 2003. Daniel Wu’s wife Lisa S., is not only a supermodel but also the stepdaughter of Gary Selesner, the President of Caesars Palace, a major Las Vegas casino. The couple wed in South Africa in 2010 and has a one-year-old daughter named Raven. Former F4 member, Vanness Wu’s romance with Arissa Cheo (石貞善), the daughter of a prominent Indonesian-Chinese family with a multi-billion business in the oil industry, was initially met with family disapproval due to the differences in their financial backgrounds. The couple met in 2006 and separated for three years before deciding to give their love a second chance in 2010. Vanness and Arissa held a lavish wedding in Los Angeles in November 2013. This November, TVB actor Lai Lok Yi (黎諾懿) and businesswoman Nicole Lee (李潔瑩) got married in a high-profile wedding. Nichole’s family runs a $500 million HKD business empire founded on beauty salons. Although Lok Yi’s status at TVB has become more prominent in recent years, the couple still has a wide financial gap to close. Lok Yi did not seem to mind the negative gossip over their marriage union and said, “There’s not much that can be done. As long as my wife and in-laws understand, I can only work harder to close the gap between our financial disparities.” Creds: Ming Pao
